Pelvic Powerhouse

Pelvic Powerhouse

The term, dubbed by Jason Glass of the Titleist Performance Institute, refers to your hips and their essential role in generating power in your golf swing. This is why an effortless looking swing from a professional golfer can produce club head speeds up to 120+ mph, while the average golfer’s speed is less than 90 mph. The key to turning your hips into a pelvic powerhouse is loading and exploding.

Most golfers do not load properly onto their trail side when they take the club back. The action of loading is similar to winding a spring or stretching a rubber band; it gets the golfer ready to explode into impact. It’s the whole reason why we take the club back in the first place and don't just start at the top of the swing. Once you are able to create a proper load through your hips you then need to start your downswing uncoiling that load and exploding to the golf ball. If this is done correctly, your hips will fire through first, followed by your torso, arms, and finally the golf club to create the highest club head speed as possible. If you do not uncoil your hips first, you will have an upper body dominant down swing that will be very poorly timed and often results in miss hits.

The best way to work on this is by practicing dry swings at home or the range with and without a golf club. Practice loading, or transferring your weight onto your trail side (right side for a right handed golfer), by rotating your hips as you take the club back. Once you get to the top act as you have a super band attached to your right side that wants to pull your hips down and though your swing. Your hips need to initiate your downswing.

If you have any trouble with any of these exercises, or if you would like to know more ways to build your pelvic powerhouse feel free to ask me at any time. Kevin

Why Weight?

All too often I hear men and women saying females shouldn’t be lifting weights. Why not!? Nothing upsets me more than hearing those uneducated on the matter chime in with their misguided opinions. Not only should women be lifting weights, but they should be in the weight room more often than their male counterparts.

Here’s why:

Testosterone vs. Estrogen:

Many women that I have trained in the past are very apprehensive about picking up a dumbbell because they don’t want to become “muscle-y.” With the proper program and guidance, there is no way this would happen. In laymen’s terms, testosterone is far more superior to burning fat AND building muscle in comparison to estrogen. That is why men “bulk up”. Why is this important? Purely based on hormone composition between the genders, it is much harder for women to build muscle and therefore burn fat. Females simply don’t have the testosterone for that to happen. So in short, these effects won’t happen overnight! Relax, don’t listen to infomercials from SALES PEOPLE, and start incorporating some weight into your regimen.

Burning Calories:

It is fair to say, that a main reason a majority of people want to work out is calorie control. Most people want to feel great, be lean, and achieve overall health. Allow me to blow your mind with these next few sentences. At rest your body is burning calories. Muscle requires more calories to sustain itself than fat does – a lot more. A cheap and easy way to burn off those unwanted love handles: PUT ON SOME MUSCLE! 

Muscle? But I like cardio. Then get your ass in gear and stop moving at the same miserable pace as Betty White on the treadmill next to you. Higher intensity burns more calories. Higher intensity what you ask? ANYTHING! Speed, hills, resistance, intervals - the list goes on and on.

The evidence is all there. This isn’t abstract thinking, this is a professional relaying facts. The easiest way to feel better and move better is by working hard. Don’t hold yourself back, get yourself into the game and see what an amazing machine your body can be and will become. Get into a boot camp, or under a bar, and start sweating.  

Want to Be Better?

Lately, I've seen a few subscribers weight lifting early on Tuesdays and Thursdays, which is something that I like to see. However, I can't help but notice how the group is made up of mostly the strongest CPC subscribers that we have. Coincidence? No. 

Our Tuesday/Thursday morning crew has 2 to 3 non-coach members, but the more endurance based RBC's are loaded with everyone else. Why!? Because you're not pushing yourself. Want to get faster during your runs? Want to burst off the line? Want to shave time off of your PR? Want to be the first to the goal? You have to weight train. 

Guess what? True strength and power will get you there faster than being able to bang out 200 mid rows. Trust me. So, take off the "running" shoes and pick up some substantial weight! There is always a coach to help you. Barbells don't bite. 

CW 

Cold? That's Not An Excuse.

It's winter and that means it’s cold out. That doesn't mean you get a free pass to hibernate for 5 to 6 months! It's easy to fall into the trap, myself included, of not wanting to go outside and train in the freezing cold. Guess what people? It's time to suck it up and get out there! You can still train outside in the winter with the correct planning and preparation. I’ve included a few tips below that I use when my least favorite season of the year arrives and I still need to get out there.

1. Get a training partner:

It's SO easy to hit the snooze button when its still dark out and the only person counting on me to get up is me. When I know I have a friend, or a class full of CPC subscribers, waiting for me, waking up is just a little bit easier. Accountability is HUGE. Not only to yourself but to others. Don't leave your partner standing out in the cold waiting on someone that isn't going to show. Not cool!

2. Layer up:

When heading out for a long training run, Jay's 6am ROTC class, or to walk the dog, the key to enduring the freezing temps is LAYERS! The number of layers you want will depend on several things: how intense will your workout be? what is the air temperature and wind chill? how does your body respond to cold? There are no hard and fast rules here because everyone is different, but be sure to put on a light-weight wicking layer first, a moderate to heavy weight layer second, and depending on conditions a third layer. You can always shed if necessary. Last but most important: put a hat on! You lose the majority of your body heat through your HEAD and that’s the last thing you want when you’ll be outside for an extended period of time.  

3. Leave the ‘Rocky’ sweats at home:

It's 2014 and we live in a world of Dri-Fit, Cold Gear, Smartwool, etc. How many of you still rock a cotton t-shirt or sweatshirt to go outside and train in cold or warm temps? If you do, DON’T! Cotton holds onto all of the moisture your body is trying to get rid of. It's just sits there, against your skin, in the cold and wind, doing nothing but making you COLDER. Do yourself a favor invest in some quality cold weather gear. And while you're at it pick up a CPC wicking beanie. Once you've done that consult tip #2 and get outside!

4. Be Smart:

You and your training partner are all geared up, CPC beanies are on, and you’re ready to go. Now, look out the window and and consult the weather app on your phone. What are the road conditions like? What's the "feels like" temperature? Is it supposed to snow/rain? Just because you're all geared up and ready doesn't mean that you should. I've given you every possible way to be a badass and train outside in the cold, but the reality is you need to be smart. Be sure to have good footing underneath you. If you don't, and the idiot driver who hates seeing runners on the the side of the road doesn't either… well, we know how that ends. If the air temperature is hovering in the single (or negative!) digits and there is a wind chill factor don't be a hero. Move your training inside. Take an additional Rouge Boot Camp or TRX class. A slight adjustment to your training schedule isn't going to kill you.

They may seem like “no brainers”, but believe it or not these are the most frequently used excuses I hear during the winter months. So Layer up and get some badass cold weather training going! Spring is right around the corner.

SK

The Economics of "Diet"

The Economics of "Diet"

Mike put together a great recap on a “diet” last week and so I am going to “piggy-back” on that regarding the economics of a good diet.

As Mike pointed out there are many diets that come and go in the media and many scientists and dietitians refer to the "Mediterranean diet” as the pinnacle relationship with food. Many people draw attention to the rich concentration of omega 3’s and Omega 6’s that come from fresh fish or the use of extra virgin olive oil. With all of this information at our fingertips Americans did what Americans do best… We tried to create shortcuts. We developed supplements that contained high concentrations of omega 3’s and Omega 6’s to try to circumvent the positive behaviors of this culture rather than the detail of their food. So by copying this diet in our “American way” why are we still so fat and unhealthy? What are we missing? I believe It is the economic side of things.

The average American consumer spends 7% of their gross income on food. The average Mediterranean inhabitant contributes greater than 20% of their gross income on food…  We are blind to the fact that individuals that live in this region eat FRESH FOOD. They are not concerned with spending their money on a ridiculous cable bill so that they don't miss the season premiere of Homeland rather they use this money to invest in their health and wellness. Typically living in more confined spaces with little to no cabinet space because they do not purchase foods they can sit on the shelves and are full of preservatives. Every food item in which they place in their mouth was purchased within just a couple days. As we continue to question why as a nation we are so sick and unhealthy? We need to recognize that as a nation we are spending so much of our gross income on medicine and hospitalization to treat rather than spending to prevent…

Let's look at the Mediterranean “diet” (or way of life). Take your annual gross income and multiply it by 20%… THAT number. Yes that HUGE Number is what you should allocate to your food bill. It seems absolutely astronomical to spend that much money on food but really as we continuously bitch over the cost of whole food ingredients and organic vegetables and fruits… Is it really that expensive to continuously invest in yourself? I don’t believe so.

I am totally comfortable being a self-preservationist and investing in my well-being. I’m also completely okay about having no idea what happened in this past season of Dexter. Comcast can bite me I have food to buy…

Please be aware that I am in no way trying to solve the socio-economic constraints of poverty stricken areas. This is simple in reference to statistical averages and does not apply to everyone!

What Diet is Best?

What diet do you follow?  What do you think of this diet?  Is this diet healthy?  These are all common questions that we get at CPC, all of which are good legitimate questions.  Contained in what follows, I hope, are the answers to these questions, in my humbled opinion.  Since I've been somewhat labeled the "Food Guy" (just to put it out there, in writing, I'm not a chef) around here I figured I would speak on the topic after I got asked one of these very questions just the other day.  No, I'm not telling you who asked me the question so don't ask.

To start lets look at the definition(s) of Diet.

1.  the kinds of food that a person, animal, or community habitually eats.

2.  a special course of food to which one restricts oneself, either to lose weight or for medical reasons.

The definition that I like the most is #1.  A diet by all intents and purposes is boiled down to simply, the food that we eat.  There is no name attached to said diet, it's food, that you cook/prepare, and then consume, that's it.  In the "true" diet world there is no Paleo, Atkins, South Beach, Mediterranean, etc. With that being said, what I think your diet should consist of is a diverse group of wholesome, natural, unprocessed, and unrefined foods.  Know where your food comes from!  Buy locally if you can. Stick with organic and non-GMO when possible.  Cook at home, eat out less.  Stay away from gluten if you want or need to.  This is what your diet should reflect and consist of.  If you want to eat something then eat it! If you have a craving don't ignore it -odds are you actually need what you are craving.  More often than not our bodies are smarter than we are, or than we think it is.  Listen To It!  All your diet should be is you paying attention to, being conscious of, and being consistent with what you are eating.  

Diets in the socially accepted sense and definition are really only meant to be short term quick fixes for vain aesthetic hang-ups that we have about our bodies.  "I want to lose 15lbs" sure the South Beach Diet may work.  "I want to get rid of my muffin top" - yes, Atkins may be able to help that.  "I want six-pack abs" Paleo might be able to help you get them, but did cave men have six-packs?  I don't know, I would think not, even if they did you couldn't see it under all that hair.  Anyway, all these diets do is make you change your eating habits for a short time until you see the results that you want.  Once this happens odds are you forget about the "diet" and go back to your normal eating habits, and guess what you put weight back on, you sprout the muffin top again, you trade in the six-pack for a keg again, and in most cases it's even worse then when you went on the "diet" to begin with.  We were not meant to eat this way (yo-yo effect), and it's not healthy to eat this way either.  

Diets also restrict calories or whole food groups a lot of the time. "Carbs are the enemy". Well yes, refined sugars and crap like that is, but our body needs them (from good sources), they're a fuel source.  Ever try driving your car without gas?  It doesn't work very well. If you don't trust me then try it, just don't call me when you need a ride.  "Fats are so bad for you, they'll clog your arteries" true to some extent.  If we eat a diet high in fats and cholesterol we do increase our risks for heart disease, but we also need fat.  Our brains use fat for normal mental function. It's true look it up.  I can go on and on but you get the picture that I'm trying to paint, you need to eat everything. Our bodies need this stuff to work and function properly!

Another tip: We are all different, and what works for one person might not work for the next.  One way of eating isn't going to affect each person in the same way.  What you need to do is try things and see what works for you. Pay attention to what you are eating and how it makes you feel.  Half of the battle is just establishing a healthy relationship with your food, by that I mean, what you are eating, when, what combinations, how much, where, why you're eating (hungry, bored, craving) etc.  Trial and error it up, see what works. It's not going to happen over night so don't get discouraged - it's a process.  

That's pretty much my take on dieting. I could go on but I'm not a nutrition expert so don't hold me accountable for any dieting disasters. I'm just giving you some tips that I think are helpful and useful. Moral of the story eat GOOD food, stay away from the crap. If you have a big butt, so what, don't look to a diet to try to fix it. Embrace the butt (figuratively....or literally - your call) and be happy with who you are. Unless the butt is causing serious health issues then yes, get rid of it.  Stay away from the stereotypical diet trends and just work on your overall relationship with food.  

Any questions, comments, problems? Let me know. You know where to find me.  

Copycat is Validation

 

CopyCat is Validation

 

It continues to be a point of contention in the fitness industry. “That’s what I do.” Or “That’s my exercise.” Both of which are comical statements to the very core. Honestly how do you possibly claim human movement as “yours”?  Nothing in the fitness industry is proprietary and nothing should be. All coaches chose this career path to help people and better the wellness of those we come in contact with. Why wouldn’t we take the best of what we witness and utilize it in interests of our clients or “subscribers of our method”?

When I am fortunate to meet a fellow professional whom I respect they all share the same basic outlook when it comes to program design… “As long as you can answer WHY you’re doing something then its purpose and prescription is correct”. If all fitness professionals can swallow their insecurities and be willing to share their experiences with others then as a collective we will gain the respect necessary by the medical community to be looked at as prescribed medicine. Unfortunately I believe we are a long way off and we will continue to be looked down upon as those that didn’t make it to medical school and are just wannabe’s.

I obtained my BS in Exercise Science and was considered pre-med due to my course load. This career path was a choice and a damn good one. Every moment of everyday I feel like I am making the world a little healthier vs. slapping a Band-Aid on the symptoms. I am flattered and validated when another professional does something I have done with a client, asks for my help in program design or wants to shadow one of my sessions to learn what “I do”. I can’t change the world alone but I’ll never stop trying. SO If you notice me watching your session please don’t be defensive because I’m not ashamed. I’m learning.